Head Coach Raheem Morris & Quarterback Kirk Cousins post game press conference | Atlanta Falcons

Head Coach Raheem Morris & Quarterback Kirk Cousins post game press conference | Atlanta Falcons

Uh we keep finding ways to make it tough. Um we certainly do that. Um very wable game for us. We got to find a way to make a play. We keep saying it every single week. You know, somebody’s got to make a play, step up at the end, uh whether it be offense, defense, or special teams. And uh had some opportunities and uh was not able to get away with it. From a time management perspective, at any point in this game, is there anything else you would go back and do differently that maybe you did? Um, I I’d have to go look at the tape and find out what you’re talking about and what you’re referring to. So, we can go back and look at some of those things and find out. Coach, do you have an update on Michael Penn? I don’t, you know, obviously he left the game was was ruled out. I mean, I didn’t never got ruled out. Um, you know, so we got to go see where the knee is and where he’s at. Uh, Drake London, the same uh the same report on Drake. you know, obviously he left out the game and um after that sluggle attempt in the end zone and um wasn’t able to return. Um for the second week in a row, you all fought and got the lead late and the defense wasn’t able to hold it. Uh what happened here today? Uh those guys made plays and we got to find a way to stop them and uh we didn’t. Raheem, just on just on Mike, you know, he was still on the sideline there. Was there any chance of him coming back into the game at you know, obviously there was a chance um but it was not, you know, looking good and didn’t feel great um for him to be able to come back out there, but so there was obviously a chance he was still out there, but didn’t look good. Raheem, can you give us your thoughts on the overtime possession starting with the drone not feeling the ball and then the I guess penalty? Uh you know, we got the the the Sidewinders, you know, funny spooky kick. He got out the way of it. uh end up getting the ball on the 20 which is tough field position but you know better than the alternative when you can fumble that thing or drop it. Uh we get the ball we get a first down by Bejan there. We can’t have illegal men downfield and we can’t drop the slant after that. They moved the ball through the air today which has not been their mo. Do you think that they were reacting the way you were playing them or do you think they saw something and tried to attack you specifically? I think they did a nice job of you know doing what they do well. um going out taking the completions. Um they’re able to get completions down the field that um that we usually can stop. We’re not able to stop them today. Um we got to make the plays down the field. We got to make the plays wherever, you know, move AJ around, do some different things. Um we tried to do that today and uh they were able to find other people. Did a nice job by those guys. Do you feel like you have to do something dramatically different at this point just to stop this slide? Uh it’s hard to say that when you keep losing these type of games, you know, these games are coming down to, you know, one possession games. You know, you just got to find a way to win it. You got to find a way to do something different to win that football game. You got to find a way to make that play. You got to find a way to do those things. You know, like um dramatic would be a little bit, you know, over the top. You know, when you find when you end games in these close games versus, you know, respectable teams and very good football teams and uh we got to find a way to win these games. You have consistently believed that this team would respond the right way. Do you become worried about that at all after five straight losses? Um you you you do you know obviously that’s um let’s say you do worry about the guys responding the right way you know particularly as you get an injury but you know there’s no room for excuses and we won’t make them. Hey, Rob to your left. What knee was it with Penn? Was it I’m sorry. What knee was it with Penn? I didn’t I be honest. I didn’t ask that question. You know, Zack, you don’t know if it’s the one he’s had two ACL. I think it’s this I think it’s the same knee that it was previous this injury. Um that wasn’t, you know, really the focus for me right there, Zach, at the time. I can find out for you tomorrow. And your frustration level is focused on what what’s the most frustrating thing about what’s I mean, you got to find a way to win that game. You know, you got some winnable moments there, whether it be the fourth down and four. You got opportunity to get the run there. We got an opportunity to get in on a couple different opportunities there. You know, the last play to Drake, you know, a couple different opportunities to find a way to go win those football games and we keep putting oursel in position and we keep coming up short and that’s got to stop. Um, similar question about those two fourth down stops in the fourth quarter from this defense on fourth and one. Um, talk a little bit about those and then James Pearson’s performance. Uh, he had some big plays in this contest as well. you know, I really got to go look at, you know, the game as a whole and, you know, really be the individualized people. But I know, you know, James, I saw get up with a couple big plays in there and do some really good things. But, you know, we got the fourth down stops. We just didn’t get the one we needed, you know, in that fourth and fourth um to be able to get off the grass with a win. Anything else? Yeah, coach, it it you guys had some things working in the first half, second half, um different story. Was it elaps in execution? Was there any thing that kind of led to those inconsistencies that you saw? You know, I know our quarterback went out and uh we got to go find a way to execute with who Weber. Um they were able to load the box and be able to stop our run. Our run game was clicking pretty good in the first half and it didn’t click as well in the second. Um we got to be able to go give a better opportunity to earn some of those first downs and be able to, you know, throw and catch and move the chains and we weren’t able to do that. Coach, your thoughts on Zayn Gonzalez’s 52 yard field goal? That was uh pretty clutch. Uh you know, Zayn’s uh he’s answered the bell. um he’s answered um some problems right there being able to make some of these field goals and be able to make the extra points and make it look clean. Um be able to go out there and do those things. Uh you know, very proud of the way he’s been performing and um he’s looked good the last few weeks. Coach right here on your left uh looked like Ronnie Harrison uh had a came in there had a pretty good day today uh in place of JD Bertrand. Uh what did you make of the rotation there in that room and then of his performance today? Uh again, uh with the individual performance, you always got to go look back at it. You know, right now it stands out the play that we missed, you know, right there in the overtime. And um we got to make that play. But um obviously he made some critical plays. I seen a knockdown pass. He was able to rush the pass really well, able to chase really well, run power, play hard. Um that’s what he’s been doing since he’s had his opportunities, whether it’s been special team defense or whatever the case may be. So we’ll go back and watch the tape and be able to, you know, praise some of the the guys that were played really well yesterday. But right now, uh we got to find a way to win the football game. when you have to switch from PennX to Cousins, how does that affect play calling and and then, you know, what effect does it have on the offense as a whole? You know, obviously you got to, you know, when it affects your play your play calling for sure when you change quarterbacks and you got to do what that quarterback does well. So, we’ll go find out what Kurt does well this week. Um, I’m sure he’ll have some input on it and so we, you know, Zach and those guys will work together um depending on what happens with with Michael and uh we’ll we’ll be able to figure those things out when we get closer to practice on Wednesday. Raheem, I know you’re frustrated. Uh we’ve heard repeatedly, we we can’t have this, we got to fix that. How would you assess your leadership and and just the inability to stop those things from happening? Not good. You know, we we’ve lost a bunch of games in a row um in tight moments and you got to find a way to win those games, man. Like um they it definitely is on me. There’s no such thing as a losing team. There’s only a losing leader and I’m the leader and we lost. You guys were adamant that you wanted to keep Kirk because you felt like it would give you a really solid backup quarterback. It hasn’t played out that way on the field. Any idea why yet? Yeah, I would like to see him go out there and get a win today. You know, he played um some good ball, did some good things, but you know, you got to go get a win. You know, this never feels good when you don’t win a football game. Uh we’ll go look at it. We’ll go assess it. Uh we’ll find a way to uh fix it and get back and get at it. Thanks everyone. Okay, guys. You know, uh guys played hard in all three phases. Uh there was there was great effort. um guys competed and it’s just um you know always difficult to um to fall short especially the way we did but um you know now we just have to get back to work and and pick ourselves up and um you know do the only thing we can do or know to do and that’s to keep working but I can take any questions you have. Yeah, Kurt. Uh, we saw when uh Mike was out, you start grabbing an iPad or some stuff in front of the blue stuff as you were getting ready preparing. Uh, how what happens when that light goes on and hey, I’m going to have to get out there and do this. um your heart starts beating a little faster, but uh other than that, you just kind of get loose and um you know, basically much of what you would be doing anyways, talking to DJ about calls they’re thinking for the next drive and kind of where where they see the game going from there. um which are usually conversations you’re kind of just sitting in and listening and now I guess it just is a little more directed at you but um not too different. How do teams pull out of slumps like this and how often have you seen it happen? Um there’s no magic formula. You just get back to work and uh trust your training and um and you got to stay the course. Believe that tough times don’t last and tough people do and um and that’s all you can do. How do you feel like you played today? Yeah, it’s hard to assess myself until I go watch the tape. I think that will give me much better understanding, but um uh you know, never never as good as you think, never as bad as you think. Kirk, are you looking forward to um New Orleans next week? Yeah, you know, we don’t know where this will go, but kind of dayto-day and uh we’ll see where where we end up. Uh to piggyback on that last question, you’ve been in a lot of locker rooms in your lifetime. How do you keep the situation again from spiraling out of control and would you as a veteran player, would you say something to your teammates or would somebody else say something? How how’s that normally handled in this type of situation? There’s no normal. I think you just go back to work and uh um you know, understand the job you got to do, understand how close you are. Um, you know, it’s a game of inches and we felt that today and uh um you know, it takes a whole team effort to uh to find a way to win and and uh we’ve just got to find those inches. How how would you describe the the atmosphere in the locker room just in general? Not just today, but just the last few weeks overall. Oh, it’s been a positive atmosphere in the sense that guys are working hard. Guys love football, guys love each other. Um, you know, I I think that’s a that’s a a credit or a reflection of the the quality of the locker room and the character. There hasn’t been a dip of any kind. And I think that speaks volumes about the group we have. And um, it’s also, I think, why there would be belief that, you know, we can get back going in the right direction because I think it is a group with a lot of character. Kirk, when you do get to work next week, I mean, you’ve been around this game for a long time. What do you think are the top priorities for to get this offense clicking again? Well, I mean, I think it’s it’s possession by possession really. I mean, you have three straight possessions, I believe, with touchdowns in the first half. I’m not sure. Again, it all happened so fast, it’s hard to to know exactly what took place, but there are so many positives. You know, the red zone offense has been really effective as of late. I think our last, again, I don’t quite know if this is true or not, maybe last 11 trips to the red zone have resulted in touchdowns. So, um, you know, those are a lot of positives there. And, uh, um, you just keep going back to the things that you got to be better at. How do we get better, being on the details, and, um, believing that, um, you know, if you stay the course and and again, as a team all come together and make plays that, you know, good things will happen. Yeah. Kirk, that uh, third down shot late in the fourth quarter to to Drake on the left side, was that a matchup that you liked pre- snap? Was that about giving a great player a chance to go make a play? What’ you see there? I thought it was a great call by Zach to give us a chance to do exactly what you’re saying, which is to uh you know, work one of our best players one-on-one if they were to give us that opportunity. Uh they did based on what I saw in real time. Um and then felt like, you know, got to give him a chance there to go make a play. I think, you know, you always go back and like I’m talking about watching the film and being hard on yourself. Tomorrow, the conversation at, you know, 10:00 a.m. when we watch the tape is going to be, can I put more air on that ball? Do I back shoulder him? Does it need to be a ball that’s, you know, we’re going to analyze that and be maniacal about where can that ball be placed so that we convert, get down there, have a chance to win the game. Um, you know, those are the kinds of things when I talk about watching tape and working through details. It it’s it’s not going to be a discussion of the ball was good enough. It’s the opposite. It’s the ball may have been good. How does it be great? You know, how do we how do we get that ball to be perfect? Um, and those are conversations with Drake. Those are conversations with my quarterback coach. But that’s the only way I know to get better and to find ways to win is to be maniacal about those kinds of things so that um the next time it is perfect and we do find a way to win. Kirk to your left um when you were warming up it looked like you before you went in said a quick word to Michael. What did you tell him? What you talking about? Well, he just he went straight to the blue tent. Uh u and so I just wanted to touch base with him to understand you know how you’re feeling you in a lot of pain that kind of a thing. Just trying to um you know hear where he’s coming from. And uh quick follow up on Ra says, you know, it starts with me. I take the blame. It’s on, you know, he’s always a glass half full guy, right? He’s always Have you seen through this five game stretch um little hitting in his his step and his um communication to you guys in terms of keeping that positivity knowing that he’s publicly taking the blame for this? I think uh this fivegame stretch uh he’s he’s been his true colors, which is who he is. You know, he’s resilient. um you know he’s built for this and um he is a glass half full person and I think it um makes it a a positive place to come into work and um um you know he’s a he’s a coach that you want to you want to win for you want to play well for because you feel like he uh he’s in your corner and he’s um um you know giving you what you need to to be successful okay thank

Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Raheem Morris and Quarterback Kirk Cousins speak with the media following the Falcons’ Week 11 home matchup against the Carolina Panthers.

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@AtlantaFalcons

#AtlantaFalcons #RiseUp #NFL #Falcons